For more than two years, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has chronicled a state-led effort to study and eliminate a massive backlog of untested rape kits.

A quick refresher: Untested rape kits contain forensic evidence that was taken after sexual assault allegations and never sent to labs. State authorities are now testing thousands of kits in an effort to catch rapists through DNA matching.

Here are four revelations about the backlog, based on newly released state records.

1. More funding but less than sought

The federal government awarded $2 million to Wisconsin officials in October for rape kit efforts, but the amount fell short of what the state wanted.

State Department of Justice officials had requested $3 million to pay for rape kit tests, a new system for tracking rape kits, more law enforcement training, an expanded publicity campaign and victim support resources.

State officials said Thursday that their grant award was reduced as part of nationwide cuts by federal authorities, and almost no grant recipients received the full amount they requested for rape kit testing efforts.

It remains unclear how the cut will impact Wisconsin's efforts. Johnny Koremenos, a Department of Justice spokesman, said the state will "make cost-saving adjustments to carry out all initiatives laid out in the grant application." He also said the state has enough funding to test all kits currently scheduled for analysis.

2. 'Effectively and quickly'

While discussing Wisconsin's backlog at a March public hearing, Attorney General Brad Schimel assured lawmakers that recent sexual assault evidence was being handled by state labs "effectively and quickly."

But that same month, in grant documents, state Department of Justice officials told the federal government that additional funding could help them study how effectively and quickly sexual assault evidence was being handled.

State officials wrote a new system for tracking kits could help "identify where delays or breakdowns may be occurring" and proposed to "audit the processing of kits throughout the system to ensure that current kits are processed and tested in a timely manner."

The statements are puzzling given Schimel's assurances. If state officials were lacking tools to detect errors and testing delays, how was Schimel able to tell lawmakers that evidence was being handled effectively and quickly?

Koremenos defended Schimel's assurances, saying the attorney general was speaking narrowly to crime lab operations while the grant documents were referring to how rape kits are handled throughout the criminal justice system.

"Sexual assault kits travel a great distance, from initial creation to when the crime lab receives it," Koremenos said. "Identifying where delays or breakdowns are occurring from when it is initially created by (a nurse) to when the crime lab receives the kit, is one of the advantages of implementing such a system."

Koremenos declined to provide the average amount of time that it takes for rape kits to be processed at state labs. In September, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin obtained crime lab reports that revealed growing delays in DNA testing cases, but the reports don't show how long it takes rape kits to be tested.

3. Victims denied information?

Pitching a new system to track rape kits, state Department of Justice officials wrote in grant documents that sexual assault survivors faced barriers in accessing information about their kits and called that issue a "significant gap."

"At present, survivors have no way to directly access details about their kit including whether or not it was submitted to the (state crime labs), if it was tested or not, or if it's been destroyed," state officials wrote.

The state proposed a system that would track each rape kit and allow a survivor to monitor its steps through the criminal justice system. Survivors could either log into a secure website or receive notifications.

Department of Justice officials budgeted $1.3 million for the system, though it's unclear that much will be available with the state's reduced award. Officials said the system could help avoid survivors being denied information by law enforcement.

"Telling a victim that they do not have the right to information about evidence collected from her/his body following a sexual assault is far from victim-centered and is also potentially traumatizing," state officials wrote.

Koremenos said those comments stemmed from goals to implement survivor-friendly policies rather than a specific instance of a survivor being denied information by law enforcement about their rape kit.

4. More police, prosecutor training

While Schimel has avoided publicly criticizing local law enforcement authorities for untested rape kits, state officials pushed for federal funding this year to address "systemic factors" in law enforcement.

In grant documents, state Department of Justice officials said more training of police and prosecutors was needed to ensure "that kits never build up again but more importantly, that a survivor's kit is treated with dignity and respect by being tested."

State officials pitched creating a new training position to help law enforcement officials around the state understand common signs of sexual assault-related trauma, forensic science, cold cases, victim notification practices and victim support systems. Both in-person and online training would be available.

"DOJ is already providing training to law enforcement on best practices for responding to and investigating sexual assault cases but, at current capacity, only trains approximately 120 officers every year," state officials wrote. "We are in need of additional training resources."

Koremenos said 120 officers have been historically trained per year due to department staffing levels. In grant documents, DOJ officials said Wisconsin has over 17,000 sworn officers. Koremenos said some of the new grant funding will pay for an additional training position.

Note to readers: If you have information related to untested rape kits or state crime lab testing delays, please contact investigative reporter Keegan Kyle at kkyle@gannett.com.